Starter for motor-cars.



S, A. WATSONL STARTER FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 91s.

1 ,209,9 1 3 Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Inventor; WW

nsvr anion SIDNEY ALFRED WATSON, O13 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 UNIVERSAL APPLIANCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LIMITED,

OF TORONTO, CANADA.

STARTER FOR MOTOR-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SIDNEY ALFRED WAT- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, Frovince of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Motor-Cars, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the invention are, to eliminate the disagreeable and often dangerous conditions due to the starting of the engine and to obviate the necessity of starting the engine by a hand crank at the front of the car.

A further object is to devise a simple and inexpensive form of mechanical starter which may be easily and quickly applied and operates with ease and efi'ectiveness.

Another and important object is to devise a mechanism which may be placed between the engine and radiator and will thus be hidden from view.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby a partially rotatable cranking member is first moved to engage the engine shaft and then operated to impart a rotating movement thereto, and whereby the starting mechanism is disengaged in the event of the engine back-firing.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a skeleton perspective view of my device shown as assembled upon a motor car, parts thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail in part section of a portion of the starting crank. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional detail of the automatic means for disengaging the starter mechanism. Fig. 4; is a horizontal sectional view' of the detail shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the ratchet block of the automatic disengaging device.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the engine shaft having the starter clutch member 2 thereon, here shown as the drive pulley for the fan belt 3.

4 is the cylindrical ratchet clutch member mounted on the starter shaft 4* adapted to engage the cross pin 5 of the member 2.

6 is a recess arranged in the periphery of the hub portion 7 of the ratchet member A.

8 is a sleeve rotatably encircling the hub 7 and secured thereon by a collar 9.

I 10 is a pin slidably arranged in the hole 11 in the sleeve 8, the inner end thereof being adapted to enter the recess 6 in the clutch member 1 to connect the sleeve and clutch.

12 is a flat spring secured to the sleeve 8 and engaging the outer end of the pin 10 and holding same with its inner end in the recess 6.

13 is a crank'arm preferably forming a part of the sleeve 8 having an arc-shaped outer portion 14 formed with a groove 15 in the outer edge.

10 is a flexible wire connected to the outer end of the pin and extending outwardly through a lug 10 on the crank arm and through an orifice 10.

10 is a ring secured to the outer end of thewire 10 and seated in an arc-shaped recess 10 in the crank arm. The recess 10 is slightly deeper than the recess 6 in the clutch so that when same is pulled outwardly the pin 10 will be drawn clear of the clutch and retained clear by turning the ring to engage the sides of the recess 10.

16 is a chain or flexible cable secured to the inner curved portion 17 of the arm 13 lying. in the groove 15, extending beyond the extreme outer end and passing through a pulley 18 suitably mounted at the side of the frame of the car.

19 is a rod slidably arranged in a sleeve bracket 20 secured to the foot board of the car having its forward end connected to the cable 16 and provided with a handle 21 at itsinner end. The handle 21 is arranged in a convenient position for the driver of the car to reach and pull in order to rotate the crank arm. The crank arm is shaped so as to pass the various parts of the mechanism of the car and to allow the maximum throw.

22 is a bracket secured to a suitable part of the framevof the car, here shown as the front cross bar 28.

rearwardly and upwardly to the foot boardof the car, the innerendbeing arranged in a convenient place for the driver to reach with his foot to push forwardly and swing the lever 24: on its pivot and thereby push the starter clutch into operating engagement with the clutch member 2.

27 is a sleeve encircling the forward end of the starter shaft 4?? and formed with lat erally extending lugs 28 to be secured to the frame of the car.

29 is a rectangular shaped hollow boss formed on the sleeve 27, preferably on the under side. I I 1 30 is a rectangular ratchet block slidably arranged in the hollow boss 29, having an enlarged head 31 at the outer end engaging theend of the boss 29. The inner end of the block 30 is formed with a beveled surface 32 sloping upwardly and a. diagonally arranged perpendicularsurface 33.

3d isa pin secured inthe starter shaft and adapted to engage the 'beveled'surface 32 of the ratchet block when said shaft is in its inward'position'wit'h the starter clutch in engagement and on the rotation of the starter shaft in the direction to start the engine, The pin engaging thes'lopin g surface of the block moves said block outwardly in the hollow Boss to allow the pin to pass. In the event of the engine backfiring the pin 34 will engage the surface 33 of the ratchet block and the shaft will be forced longitudinally and will automatically disengage the clutch. The block is spring held inwardly bya fiat spring 35 In the operation of this'device,'the driver presses with his foot up'o'n the rod 26 thereby swinging the forkedfle'ver and moving the clutch memberf l into engagement with the pin of the clutch member 2. I He then grasps the handle and pulling upwardly thereon pulls upon the chain 16 thereby rotating the crank arm 13., A short slow movement brings the clutch members into proper engaging contact and a quick pull upon the handle then rotates the engine shaft to start the engine. The crank arm and cable are returned, upon the-release of the handle, to the normal position by a spring 36 connected at one end tothe'hub and at the other end to the frame of the car. 7 The starting ofthe engine is thus rendered a very simple operation which may be ef fected by the driver of the car without leaving his seat. I I I I The safety device contained in the sleeve 27 operates idly when the pin 34 on the starter shaft engages the beveled surface 32 of the ratchet block 30 but in the. event of the engine back-firing and consequentlyrotating the starter shaft in'a backward direction the pin 34L causes the {clutch members to disengage as described. This action is,

of course, instantaneous and disengaging 1 .6 the starter shaft in the manner described car and is entirely out of sight. It is 'con-.

structed to fit into place in'standard cars without the necessity of changing any parts and requires but a slight amount of fitting. It is very simple and is of strong and durable constructionand will not readily get out of order. The outer end of the starter shaft is formed with a squared end which allows the use of a hand crank in the event of the mechanicalstarter getting out of order and if this is found necessary the pin l0--'-is withdrawn fromengagement with the clutch thereby disconnecting the mechanical starter mechanism.

What I cl'aimas my invention is 1. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with an engine shaft having a clutch member thereon, and a starter shaft having a 'coepe'r'ating clutch member adapted to engagethe engine shaft clutch, of a sleeve surroui'iding the starter shaft, a cam shaped lever proj-ecting fromsaid sleeve and integrally connected therewith, means for holding the sleeve fixed relatively to said shaft for partial rotation therewith, means for-operating the lever to rotate the shaft, and manually controlled means for disconnecting said first means and holding the 'latter inoperative to permit rotation of the starter shaft independently of said lever and sleeve.

2. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with .an engine shaft having a "clutch member thereon, and a starter shaft having a cooperating clutch member adapted to engage the engine shaft clutch, of a sleeve surrounding said starter shaft and having an opening registering with the opening in said 'shaftQa p'in passed through said opening to hold said sleeve fixed relatively to said shaft for partial rotation therewith, a crank arm projecting from said sleeve, means for operating the arm to rotate said shaft, a' spring for retaining said pin within said openings, and manually controlled means for with'dra'wing and holding said pin disengaged from said shaft to per- I flexible element secured to said pin, guides on said arm through which said element is passed, and a manipulating member on the free end of said element for withdrawing and holding said pin disengaged from the shaft to permit rotation of the latter independently of said sleeve.

4;. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with an engine shaft having a clutch member thereon, and a starter shaft having a cotiperating clutch member adapted to engage the engine shaft clutch, of a sleeve surrounding said starter shaft and having an opening registering with an opening in said shaft, a pin passed through said openings to hold the sleeve fixed relatively to said shaft for partial rotation therewith, a crank arm projecting from said sleeve, means for operating the arm to rotate said shaft, a flexible element secured to said pin, and a manipulating member on the free end of said element adapted to be normally seated in a recess in said arm, and to rest against the latter when withdrawn from the recess to hold said pin disengaged from the shaft.

5. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with an engine shaft having a clutch member thereon, and a starter shaft having a cooperating clutch member adapted to en gage the engine shaft clutch, of means on the starter shaft for rotating the latter, a bracket arm, a sleeve encircling the outer end of the shaft, means common to both the said arm and sleeve for fastening the same to the frame of the car, a lever fulcrumed upon said arm and engaging the starter shaft to move the latter into clutching engagement with said engine shaft, means for operating said lever, and means within said sleeve for moving the starter shaft outwardly away from the engine shaft in event of engine back-firing.

6. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with an engine shaft having a clutch member thereon, and a starter shaft having a cooperating clutch member adapted to engage the engine shaft clutoh, of means on the starter shaft at the inner side of the radiator of the car for rotating said shaft, a bracket arm, a sleeve encircling the outer end of the shaft at the opposite side of the radiator, a U-shaped bolt straddling the frame of the car and fastening said bracket arm and sleeve thereto, a lever fulcrumed upon said arm and engaging the starter shaft to move the latter into clutching engagement with the engine shaft, means for operating said lever, and means within said sleeve for moving the starter shaft outwardly away from the engine shaft in event of engine back-firing.

7. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with the engine shaft having a starter clutch thereon and a starter shaft having a clutch member adapted to engage the engine shaft clutch, a crank arm mounted on said starter shaft, means for operating said arm to rotate said shaft, means for moving the clutch members of the starter and engine shafts into operating engagement, a pin secured in said starter shaft, and an obstructing member arranged in the path of said pin when the clutch members are in engagement and adapted to force the starter shaft outwardly upon the same rotating backwardly to disengage the clutch members.

8. In a starter for motor cars, the combination with the engine shaft having a starter clutch member thereon and a starter shaft having a clutch member adapted to engage the engine shaft clutch, a crank arm mounted on said shaft, means for operating said arm to rotate said shaft, means for moving the clutch members of the starter and engine shafts into operating engagement, a sleeve encircling the starter shaft having an opening in one side thereof, a ratchet block arranged in said opening having an inwardly projecting portion formed with beveled surfaces, a pin secured in the starter shaft adapted to engage the beveled faces of the inwardly extending portion of said block, and a spring holding said block to its innermost position.

SIDNEY ALFRED VVATSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

